Kenya’s tourism minister has appealed to Britain to lift its ban on flights to the east African country, claiming it is costing the economy about £600,000 per day. Tourism minister Raphael Tuju is in Britain for meetings aimed at convincing UK officials that it is safe to resume flights to Kenya. “Airlines are flying to Nairobi and Mombasa international airports normally, and it is now essential that the British flight ban is lifted,” he said. Britain halted all flights to and from Kenya by UK-based airlines 12 days ago, claiming there was an imminent threat of attacks from the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation. The Department of Transport said the ban would remain in place for now, while the Foreign Office has said its travel warnings are constantly under review. Mr Tuju said that the UK flight ban had crippled the tourism industry, Kenya’s second largest foreign currency earner, and threatened the rest of its economy. Full Story